University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld has directed those in charge of each of his campus’ budget units to start prioritizing and to “be prepared,” in the face of potential cuts to state support that’s already been allocated for the current budget year.

“President Harreld has been very good at saying you need to sit down and look at prioritizing things, and at the end of the day, be prepared,” UI Provost Barry Butler said while speaking Thursday to the Iowa City Noon Rotary Club.

Gov. Terry Branstad earlier this week proposed $110 million in de-appropriations for this budget year after tax collections came in lower than projected. Higher education, and specifically the Board of Regents, is facing the biggest hit with the governor proposing taking back $25.6 million from the regents and another $8.7 million from community colleges.

It’s unclear how the Board of Regents would divvy up those cuts among its three public universities — should lawmakers approve Branstad’s proposal. And Butler said UI hasn’t yet received specific information about how much it might lose.

But, he said, university leaders started planning weeks ago for the possibility of de-appropriations — after news broke of the potential budget shortfall. And UI leaders are to meet in about a week to start going through budgets, unit by unit.